Daughters of the Valar
by WhiteKnightLady
Summary: Could these three girls, be the ones of whom the prophecy spoke? Original Characters, not a MS, feedback welcome, voting on what happens next just might happen!
1. Chapter 1

Daughters of the Valar

By: Lady

Rating: K+-M

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Tolkien's and never will. Anything of the story, plot, original characters, and all things you don't recognize belong to me unless stated otherwise and cannot be used without permission.

Summary: Three girls, two sisters and their best friend, are all at the Annual Renaissance Faire where they wait for their turns to fight. They are looking at a booth of strange weapons where they each find something that catches their eye. They are taken to Middle Earth, where they are dropped into Rivendel and found by the Elven Patrol. They are prepared to fight with their lives when light shines down from the heavens and calls them "Daughters".

Lord Elrond is stunned, could they be the ones of which the prophecy spoke?

Author's Note: I have not now, nor ever will, write a Mary Sue! I never, ever, will so don't worry about that! As soon as I'm able, I will be uploading pictures from this story onto either my LiveJournal or my MySpace!

Copyright: 2006 LindsayMCamarillo


	2. Chapter 2

Prologue: A Prophecy

_Three Rings for the Elven Kings Under the Sky_

_Seven for the Dwarf Lords in their Halls of Stone_

_Nine for Mortal Men Doomed to Die_

_One for the Dark Lord on His Dark Throne_

_One Ring to Rule Them All_

_One Ring to Find Them_

_One Ring to Bring Them All_

_And in the Darkness Bind Them_

_Darkness Broken when Ring Unmade_

_Three that were the Valar Bade_

_Chosen by Birth, Power, and Way_

_Three Together will Power Obey_

_Summoned when the Dark is Near_

_Called from Battle yet not Fear_

_Two Sisters with a Third are Formed_

_Now the Light will be Reformed_

_With Dangers Unnumbered_

_And Hardships Unknown_

_They will Walk the Path _

_That They are shown._

There is a fine line between the truth and a lie. Most of the time that line is blurred, the edges of history and legend become indiscernible. Still, once in a Blue Moon, the two collide to form a tale that is neither truth nor a lie. It is simply a story.

This is one such tale. This is the story of the Daughters of the Valar.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter One: Swordplay

The sound of two sets of blades meeting was the only sign that things were not as they seemed. It was a relatively calm day, the sun was shinning, the air was clean, and the birds were singing. A large two story house was sitting proudly on a small hill, while not far away a pair of girls circled each other. Armed with two blades a piece, they lunged forward then back, all the while taking care not to harm the other.

The taller of the two was slightly more heavy set, her round face set in grim concentration as she wielded her weapons. In once hand she held an Italian fencing rapier, long and quick while in the other, the shorter knife companion parried blows and dove in for quick cuts.

Her opponent, smaller and more delicate, was armed with two short swords. Neither more than 20 inches long. While she lacked the strength of the first girl, her speed and agility more than made up for that shortcoming.

Again and again the two blades clashed. Coming together then thrusting apart, only to meet again in another lunge. The two girls were evenly matched and it seemed that neither would gain the upper hand when, in two quick moves, the shorter girl knocked the rapier from the other's hand. Shifting stances, the larger girl moved so her right side would be protected as she hurriedly blocked as many blows as she could from the twin blades. This went on for several minutes before the knife was also knocked aside.

For one long moment, the two stared at each other glaring when the sound of someone clapping broke their gaze apart. Grinning ruefully, the larger girl retrieved her blades from the ground before sheathing them and facing her friend.

"Good one, Cayce," She said her voice soft and pretty. "For a moment there, I thought for sure that I had you!"

Laughing Cayce sheathed her own weapons and slung an arm about her friend's shoulders. "No worries Kathryn, for a moment there, I thought you had me too!"

Together they walked over to their audience, another girl, taller than both, who resembled Cayce a great deal. Leaning against an aged tree, she grinned at the two fighters, mischief sparkling in her green-brown eyes.

"So, I take on winner, yes?

Cayce and Kathryn exchanged an identical look of nervousness and said together. "NO!"

Pouting, she asked, "Well, why not? Is it because I don't have a sword?"

At once, both Cayce and Kathryn dove forward, tickling her unmercifully until she cried uncle. Pulling back Cayce had a mock stern look in her eyes as she addressed her younger sister. "Lynze, the fact that we won't fight with you has nothing to do with you not having a sword and you know it! You've been using weapons for longer than I have and you are quite dangerous with that halberd of yours."

Lynze grinned and ran her hand lightly down the length of her weapon. Taller than her 5'4 frame, it stood a full 5'10 from the spike of the spear tip to the thick iron shod base. A live weapon, the axe blade was sharpened and light reflected of the edge in a dangerous sliver of sun.

"Only Arden has the courage to spar against you and even then, it's a close thing!" Kathryn cried, dropping to the grass with an exhausted sigh. "He's the only one who is better than you when it comes to weapons' use."

Cayce and Lynze crouched down beside her and gave a sardonic grin that mirrored the other perfectly. "Only a complete idiot would spar with Elli if they were anything less than a sword master!"

"Why thank you oh beloved sister mine, you have sparred with me several times so what does that make you?" Lynze exchanged a lifted eyebrow with her sister and turned her attention back to Kathryn. "So do you think that you'll be ready when the tourney happens this weekend?"

"I hope so I haven't even lifted a blade in over five months! Hope I haven't lost my touch." Kathryn glanced at her blades uncertainly, "There was a time when Kay and I could go for nearly an hour before one of us was unarmed. Now it's barely twenty minutes and I've lost and I'm winded!"

Cayce grinned with mock sympathy as she lightly slapped her friend's back. "It'll come back to you, it's like riding a horse, you never really forget."

Grabbing their hands in hers', Lynze rose, pulling them up with her. "Well, we're not going to win those titles if this is going to be our attitude!" she cried. "I say train twice as hard and long and we'll be ready by the Blue Moon Festival!"

Author's Note: This chapter will be short and possibly the next few will be as well, I'm going to try to update at least every other day! But expect longer ones by the weekend!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Two: Festival

Over the next few days, the three girls trained hard. Hours turned to minutes as the days of the week flew by. In no time at all, it was the first day of the festival, covering a large field with medieval finery, costumed players from across the lands had come together to reenact on of the most extravagant celebrations of Renaissance history. The Festival of the Blue Moon only happened once every 100 years and it was a time for long merrymaking and storytellers, with tournaments and prizes of all kinds.

To be named a champion of the Blue Moon festival was a great thing indeed for the next one hundred years, that title was yours to keep. It was an honor that hundreds, sometimes thousands, fought for, literally. The tourneys for the titles would begin that afternoon and continue well into the evening and be taken up again throughout the next three days. The opening ceremonies were a few hours away and Cayce, Kathryn and Lynze had arrived at the faire grounds with plenty of time to spare.

Booths of everything from articles of cloth to weapons made row upon row across the field. The owners hawked their wares and heckled the other vendors with easy good nature. The general ambiance of the jubilee was one of happiness and joy. The medieval feel of the place was affecting everyone around. Slowly, Old English replaced the modern form of speech, old time gallantry replaced nonchalance, and manners replaced any modern normality that remained.

It was like stepping back in time, the old world simplicity and elegance was not lost or forgotten, it was merely hidden beneath a layer of the 20th century. Walking down the nearest row, the girls stopped at different booths and purchased various items each. Chatting and laughing happily with each other, they easily made their way toward the center of the grounds where the large fighting arena was corralled off in the grass. Food peddlers had put fire into spit and the smells of cooking meats and vegetables floated in the lazy breeze. It was a fine day indeed.

"Look!"

Kathryn's cry startled the two sisters and they jerked around, Cayce had her dirks half drawn while Lynze's left hand came up to grip the staff of her halberd, the leather covered head facing whatever threat there maybe. With exasperated sighs, the sisters' grips relaxed and humoring smiles lit their eyes as they saw what Kathryn did. It was a booth, far different from all the others around it. It was manned by an old woman, clad in rich looking robes of green and grey. A slender sliver head piece held her masses of white hair back from her face.

The wares that hung from the poles of the booth were amazing, both quality and workmanship the likes of which Lynze had never seen before. Cloth of the purest colors glimmered in the morning light. Various weapons from throwing knives to long bows decorated the booth top and in baskets below in the grass, pouches, belts, shoes and other such items lay in great quantity.

Kathryn had run over there like an eager child, stroking cloth and gazing at the knickknacks in the baskets while "ooh"ing and "aww"ing her appreciation. Cayce and Lynze joined her both just as drawn as she was only attempted to hide it better. Drawn instantly to the weapons, the two sisters looked over them all with the stern eyes of seasoned warriors. The sisters had been trained in the use of weapons from the time they were the young ages of 8 and 6. Their overprotective uncles had taught them the uses of punches, jabs and kicks then before moving on to guns and knives. As the girls grew older, they continued to practice such fighting but found that they had become more partial to blades rather than bullets.

"Greetings my dears," the old woman's voice was soft and deep, musical to hear with a faint trace of an accent that Cayce couldn't place. "Do you see anything at all to your liking?"

"I'll say!" Kathryn said, holding up a cloak made of a dark mossy green and a strange sword belt that had two thick leather holsters dangling from each side. "This would be perfect for my fencing set! I'll just have to see if they fit before I can buy it."

Lynze took the belt and appraised it with a critical eye before handing it to her sister. "I think that they'll match quite nicely. Don't you?" she asked.

"I do indeed," Cayce agreed giving it back to Kathryn. "It's almost as though that belt was made for you blades, Kat."

As Kathryn paid for her belt and cloak, Lynze and Cayce did a little shopping of their own. Browsing through the weapons, Lynze searched for something that stood out, even among this kind of finery. _'I'm sure there's something here that's not like everything else.' _She thought. _'Swords, bows, daggers, its _all_ like this! There must be at least _one_ thing here that is- hello lovely!'_

Resting on the table almost half hidden beneath a set of long black knives was a long knife, nearly long enough to be a short sword. Its scabbard was long and black with intricate silver designs embedded in the leather. The cross hilt and pommel were made of iridescent silver the same markings on the scabbard were engraved into the metal as well. The single hand grip was of a strange white wood that, while smooth to touch, was strong and Lynze knew this blade was for her.

Holding it reverently in her hands, she asked the woman for permission before drawing the blade. It was beautiful. Long and sharp it was a knife meant for thrusting, wonderful for close combat were her halberd would be useless. The top of the blade was wide, nearly 6 inches across while the tip of the steel was needle sharp and almost as tiny. Lynze moved her free hand down the shining length before testing the edge with a strand of her hair. The slender brown thread was sliced perfectly in half after touching the sharpened edge.

Returning blade to sheath, she glanced to the side and saw that her sister was just as engrossed with weapons of her own.

In her hands, Cayce held the black blades that Lynze's dagger had been lying under. Perfectly matched, the blades were made of blackened steel with handles that curved up out of the blade before arching around and ending in a curl. To Lynze, they looked awkward and unwieldy, but to Cayce, whose eyes gleamed as she gazed at the knives they were flawless.

The old woman had been watching the whole time and a look of known satisfaction filled her piercing blue eyes. "It would seem that those were indeed made for you. Here." Reaching beneath the tabletop the woman brought forth two more leather sword belts. One was of soft brown leather and the other of a more sturdy black.

"I think these were made for you as well."

Cayce reached out and took them and handed the black belt to Lynze before sliding her new blades into the sheaths on the back of the belt. "Thank you so much, my lady. For what prices are you will to part with these treasures?"

The old woman's face changed when she smiled. The years seemed to fall away and for a brief moment, the three girls saw what an unbelievable beauty she must have been. The mischief continued to dance in her eyes as she said gently. "Keep looking, perhaps you might find something else that belongs to you as well."

The girls exchanged glances before giggling and diving into the baskets and sorting through the cloth. In the end, Cayce had found a cloak of midnight blue, a pouch with gold stitching and a pair of lace up boots made from a soft brown leather besides her belt and blades. Kathryn proudly sported her cloak and belt and had added two pouches of dark brown leather with dark blue embroidery. Lynze had also found a long hooded cloak of the darkest purple, so dark it was almost black and matching pouch and shoes. They items not only fit perfectly, but identified completely with the girls' personalities.

When they tried to pay the old woman, she waved them off saying, "These are my gifts to you, _yendasmin_. Use them wisely and may they serve you well."

They were about to argue, when the sound of trumpets being blown cause them to turn towards the arena. A herald stepped forward and announced in a loud cry.

"The qualifying tournaments are about to begin! All wishing to fight come to the arena!"

The girls turned back to the woman to attempt to pay her once more but the booth was empty. Glancing at each other, they traded looks of puzzlement and exasperation. They would just have to find her after the tournament. Nodding her head, Lynze led the way through the mulling throngs toward the circle of waiting fighters.

The tournament was about to begin.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Three: Battle Ready

The long line to the board lists was excruciatingly slow to the three girls who stood somewhere in the middle. Countless other fighters were just as slowly making their way forward as well. This was to be the biggest tournament listing of the century and people had come from far and wide to watch and try their hardest to place among the top thirty.

There where three possible titles to earn. Short weapons champion, for blades like dirks, daggers and short swords. The sword champion included all blades from claymore to fencing foil. Then long weapons champion, weapons like the spear, axe, pike and in one particular case, the halberd.

As the girls made their way to the tables, they began to scope out the competition. Cayce studied the people who bore the sai(an odd weapon for a medieval tourney but was accepted none the less) , matched dirks, and short swords. Kathryn gazed at other fencers and those who bore the larger blades. Lynze's eyes were drawn to the few like herself who carried the long staff weapons. All together they separated the good fighters from the show fighters. The "show fighters" wore brightly colored clothes made from cheap fabrics and carelessly stitched appliqués. Their blades were more polish than performance and their bodies did not have the loose limbed look of fighters.

It was the ones who didn't stand out from the crowd that the girls watched closely. The ones that seemed so every day and commonplace completely nondescript in appearance, they were someone whom you wouldn't look at more than once. They were the fighters of the old ways, fighters that trained long hours to perfect their skills and were honed for a good battle.

They were few and far between, but even an inexperienced fighter could win if the other was tired enough. That was the fate of a gladiator, such as it has been since ancient times. There will always be the turn of lady luck. She was a fickle dame and forever would be. But sometimes, just sometimes, she could hold true and whether Lynze realized it or not, she was instinctively rubbing her Celtic Luck Knot on her cloak pin. For whether she won or lost, Lynze knew that this would be her last tournament.

That's why she was going to win.

Author's Note:

I'm really sorry that this chapter is so short, but I've had bad writer's block and EVERY time I sat down at the computer my mom would say "You've got 5 minutes!" And seriously what kind of writing can you do in 5 minutes? But the next chapter will be longer I promise!

Please review!

Here's a question from the last chapter, who was the old woman? Any ideas? Comment on my homepage!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Four: Blood Bonds

As they reached the lists, Lynze privately breathed a sigh of relief when she saw their places on the board. Because of their rankings at previous tourneys, she, Cayce and Kathryn were all in the fights in the later afternoon. From the opening to lunchtime, the battles would be fought by those who strove to place in the afternoon fights.

"All right ladies," Kathryn said with an impish grin. "What do you want to do all morning once the opening ceremonies are complete?"

'"Get some food!"' The sisters said together. They glanced at each other and identical smirks spread across their lips. They really needed to stop speaking at the same time for many people who didn't know them believed they were twins, despite their differences in appearances.

Cayce was tiny, petite she would correct haughtily for while her small frame seemed almost delicate, she could use blades with the best of them. Her once knee length brown hair now hung slightly below her shoulders and was often pulled into a ponytail. Her large brown eyes, mirror images to the ones in Lynze's face, were hooded by thick lashes beneath slender brows. The skin of her face was very pale one would think she had never been out in the sun, and her lips, a sarcastic smirk their usual expression, dominated the lower half of her face.

Lynze was a different story. Standing a full 3 inches taller than either of the other two, she was built solidly with broad shoulders. While she wasn't slender, she was neither overly thick. Her thick brown hair was the same length as her older sister's but it wasn't quite as bushy. And the features that stood out on her sister were more subdued on her.

Kathryn looked remarkably like them as well. Though the same height as Cayce, she was heavier and had more blond color in her hair than brown. Her eyes were brown as well, often making people believe that the girls were all sisters.

And in a way they were. When they were younger, after they had first become friends, the girls had done a blood bond like the kind read about in books. They had each pricked the pointer finger of their right hands and pressed the blood together. Doing it for fun, it had always stayed a tying point in their relationship, bringing them closer together than ever.

"Well, I was going to say more shopping, but all right." Kathryn said, rolling her eyes. "Who wants what?"

"We shouldn't eat too much." Cayce cautioned. "We have our bouts in less than five hours. We need to be careful."

"Yes, mom," Lynze said with a grin, dodging her sister's kick. "But really what choices do we have? There's meat on a stick. Pastries. Corn on a stick. Pastries. And, oh look! Our choice of ale, water or ale."

"Drop it," Cayce hissed trying to look mad, but a grin was tugging on the corner of her mouth and it didn't help that Kathryn was laughing without restraint. "I get your point. How about we get some of those pastries with the meat inside them?"

Lynze and Kathryn looked at each other and nodded.

"Compromise!"

They cried together as they each hooked one of their arms through Cayce's and began to walk toward the eating booths. People everywhere they went called out greetings and halloos. The girls were well known throughout the medieval "courts" and those that didn't know them, gave a wide birth as well. After all, who in their right mind would mess with three girls who carried weapons like they were born with them in their hands?

The food booths were clustered all together in the center of the fair grounds. There were not many of the booths as they all served the same thing, but they each smelled delicious and the girls were more than eager to retrieve their food.

One particularly large booth was manned by an older couple, Sir Hawk and Lady Elena, both had been going to faire for as long as the Kathryn could remember and longer. They had told their story to the girls many years before and Sir Hawk had given them pointers with every tournament.

"Ah ha!" Hawk's booming voice shattered the midmorning quite and caused no few people to jump slightly in their seats. "There are my little amazons! We wondered when you three would be arriving."

"Hey Hawk, how you?" Lynze asked as she straddled the rough wooden bench to the side of his booth. Kathryn joined her, sitting, mindful of her rapier, with her back to the right corner pole of the booth. Cayce remained standing, leaning up against the same pole as Kathryn.

"Things have been well, my little Spear Dane," Sir Hawk said jovially, "Within your own lives, how have things been?"

"Fine, just fine." Lynze grinned from her seat glancing at her sister. "Right Cayce?"

"Too true, _little_ sister," Cayce responded, smirking down from her 5"1' at her 5"4' sibling. Their difference in heights led many to believe that Lynze was the older of the two girls and Cayce the younger. Something neither of them enjoyed. Often they would make people even more confused by speaking in sync when asked personal questions like who was older.

"Ah!" Hawk laughed, looking down at Cayce from his impressive 7'3". "Here's my deadly blade dancer, and what new steps have you come up with for this tourney?"

Cayce grinned, stepping away from the pole and doing a few quick Irish dance steps. "The Lord of the Dance has nothing on me!"

They all laughed and started chatting in earnest as Lady Elena began to cook her famous meat pasties. Wonderful smells came from the old fashioned cooking fire as she beat the dough and mixed herbs in with the meat. The sisters had often asked for the recipe to those delicious meat pasties, but Lady Elena told them that only when she could no longer stand on her own two feet and cook them, would she pass on the recipe. But, she promised, she would someday tell them.

"So, Hawk, I didn't see your name on the lists. Why is that? I was looking forward to facing your pike" Lynze grazed up at one of her favorite teachers, with an impish grin, but a worried look in her eyes. She knew that there were only two reasons in this whole world as too why Hawk would not be swinging his pike in this most important of tournaments. And neither of them was good.

"Well, Spear Dane, my strength isn't what it was and I'm really too old to be participating in something as rigorous as this." Hawk's voice was calm, resigned, he accepted his fate, which in Lynze's mind was the worst thing that a warrior of his reputation could do.

"Why are you just sitting back and watching then? Why don't you at_ least_ act as a referee or a judge or something?" Lynze stared at Hawk imploringly, "Why don't you take _some _action or some part? Why are you just letting this happen?"

"Lynze," Cayce said softly. "Don't."

"Well, why not?" her sister demanded. "Even when the chips were down with me, Hawk told me to never give up, even against impossible odds. So why should I let him off easy?" Lynze's voice had gone quite as she spoke of things few people knew. She spoke fiercely, her conviction of what she believed was right was obvious in her tone. Her eyes pierced her sisters, Cayce and Kathryn, and Hawk, her green flecked brown eyes challenging them to tell her otherwise.

Kathryn avoided her gaze and looked at Cayce for guidance. When Lynze spoke of such things, it often brought around unpleasant memories for all of them. These trials had brought the girls closer together than any blood bond ever could have at anytime. They had survived much together as the years had gone through. There were not much that they had not endured and there wasn't much that they couldn't endure.

"Lynze stay calm. Don't lose your temper now." Kat's imploring voice broke the tension that was steadily rising between the members of the small group. "We don't need fights to break out now."

"Sorry." Lynze looked away from all her friends and stared up the path toward the large ring were the tourney would be held in just one short hour. "Really. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose it like that with you Hawk. Your decision is none of my business."

Hawk settled his large frame next to Lynze. Dwarfing her sturdy form with his own, making her look like the child he still saw her as. Wrapping a beefy arm about her shoulders, he pulled her close into the shelter of his big body. "Nonsense, my little one, you have every right to ask. You have been my pupil for many years and my friend for longer than that. Never think there is anything you can't ask me."

"And what's more, you're right. It's not right that I just stand aside. In fact, I will be presenting the winners their rewards and judging some of the higher end fights."

Hawk grinned down at her and tapped her chin up so that her eyes met his.

"Also, I wanted to be the one to give you your medal and title for winning the pole arm championship!"

The girls stayed with Hawk and Lady Elena for the better part of an hour, sitting in the shade of their booth and chatting about the upcoming duels. Hawk gave Lynze some last minute pointers about some of the better long weapon warriors, while Lady Elena spoke with Kathryn and Cayce about the finer points of sword and dagger fighting.

Lady Elena hadn't always been a pastry cook.

The hustle and bustle of the fair grounds was a comfortable background noise to the conversations as the hour wore on. The clear ring of a bugle split the air, calling all fighters to return to the ring for the start of the tournament. The girls all exchanged glances and after hugging Hawk and Lady Elena, grabbed their weapons and took off down the path, back in the direction of the large fighting corral.

"Alright sisters," Cayce announced as they raced down the path with matched strides, "This is it. This is the tournament that we came here to win and there is no way we are going to leave here-"

"'Without the titles and trophies!'" Kathryn and Lynze spoke as one, grinning at the familiar words Cayce had been spouting for the last few weeks. They had been working hard with each other and their various teachers, perfecting their many techniques as much as they could in the short weeks before the opening of the tourney. Now that the time had come for the three girls to show the world that they had earned their titles and the honors they received. The time of judgment was at hand.


End file.
